Airport Expansion Project Well Underway

Airport Manager Bill Carberry took News Radio 1310 on a tour of the facility on Friday morning, explaining how the project is progressing. The project is broken into phases so there’s little impact to customers, he said, and airport employees are working as a team as construction moves forward.

“We’re able to move around very efficiently,” he said.

On Friday, business went on as usual inside the terminal as passengers checked or retrieved their luggage. A display inside the building showed patrons what the airport will look like once the project is finished.

The $4.3 million project, which will streamline services at the facility and give it a more ageless look, will expand the terminal by more than 8,000 square feet and improve another 6,000 square feet of existing space. The holding area will be expanded and will include restrooms. Currently, no restrooms exist in the current holding area. The ticket lobby and passenger screening areas also will be improved, and baggage screening will be moved to a more secure location out of view of airport customers.

Groundbreaking for the project started on April 5, but it was years in the making. The airport was established in 1947, while the current terminal constructed in 1997. The current project is funded mostly by Federal Aviation Administration dollars, Carberry said, is broken into four phases and is scheduled for completion in early 2017.

“This took years of planning,” he said. “When it’s done I believe this will be something the community will be proud of.”